


real love, it'll break your heart

by supaprittiest



Category: Wynonna Earp (TV)
Genre: F/F
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-08-16
Updated: 2016-08-20
Packaged: 2018-08-09 03:26:10
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 6,642
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7784884
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/supaprittiest/pseuds/supaprittiest
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>In which the Black Badge Division attempts to figure out how to get Waverly back to normal</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

“She’s  _ what?”  _

 

The news of Waverly’s possession, unsurprisingly, came as an incredible shock to Nicole. As did the nonchalant expression on Dolls’ face. No wonder Doc thought he was a dick. While Nicole had grown accustomed to his secretive, private personality, she had always attributed it to the fact that she simply  _ wasn’t  _ in the Black Badge Division, but she had thought that would change once she had joined. 

 

It hadn’t.

 

“She nearly shot Wynonna. She was fast, but luckily, I was faster,” Doc explained. The tone of his voice made it sound like he was trying to reassure Nicole, but it only made things worse. “Shot the gun right out of her hand.”

 

“Where is she now?” Nicole demanded. She looked to Wynonna, who uncharacteristically hadn’t said a word throughout the whole ordeal. Nicole couldn’t blame her though, after everything she had been through the past few days. 

 

“Check Dolls’ creepy Revenant dungeon,” Wynonna muttered. Dolls shot her a look, and she feigned an apologetic look. “Oops, sorry to reveal your big secret so soon. Yeah, sometimes he tortures Revenants to try and ‘understand’ them.”

 

“Um... Let’s elaborate on that later. Please tell me she isn’t there,” Nicole said, after a period of stunned silence. For the first time, she was starting to think she was in a little over her head. 

 

“Obviously she isn’t,” Dolls replied. “Wynonna, if you can’t be of help, just go home. You need a day off.”

 

“No- what I  _ need,  _ is one freaking normal day!” Wynonna fired back. “I’m not going home without Waverly, who’s downstairs in a holding cell, by the way.”

 

“By herself?” Nicole asked. 

 

“For crying out loud, I was  _ going  _ to get you to go down and watch her, and then everyone started throwin’ accusations around and getting all catty,” Doc insisted. “Just go. We’ll start thinking of a solution.”

 

“She’s in the Black Badge Division now, we can include her in this shit,” Wynonna pointed out, which Nicole appreciated. 

 

“That’s fine. I don’t mind,” Nicole said. “I still have some catching up to do before I can really be helpful anyways. Let me know when you need more muscle.”

 

Dolls gave her an appreciative smile that seemed to erase the last ten minutes of bickering. However, as soon as she turned around, the yelling continued. She knew there was nothing that could be done to make things easier, so she just ignored it as she walked down the lonesome hallway to the holding cells.

 

\---

 

“Waverly...?” 

 

Nicole stood behind the glass window, though every cell in her body was telling her to go inside. Waverly lifted her head to look at Nicole, revealing eyes that were puffy and red from crying. 

 

“Is it safe for me to come in?” She pointed from herself to inside the cell, because she knew that Waverly would barely be able to hear her. 

 

Waverly nodded. Nicole hesitated- how would she know that it was really Waverly talking, and not whatever was possessing her? 

 

Luckily, Waverly seemed to pick up on Nicole’s doubts, and lifted one finger to her forehead, like a unicorn horn. Something only Waverly would know. Nicole couldn’t help but smile at the memory.  _ “You’re a lesbian, not a unicorn, right?”  _ It otherwise would’ve been an incredibly awkward and embarrassing moment, but they turned it into an endearing inside joke. 

 

“How are you feeling?” Nicole asked, sitting on the cold metal chair across from Waverly, passing her a styrofoam cup of water from the viewing room. 

 

“I think I only get all demon-y when I’m in proximity to Wynonna,” Waverly explained. “So as long as you’re not the heir, you’re safe from me.”

 

“You didn’t answer my question,” Nicole said, though she did appreciate the information. 

 

“I’m scared of myself,” she admitted, picking at the rim of the cup. “I can sort of feel it in me, like there’s just this unpredictability all of a sudden. Like, you know when you really want to go for a run and you can feel all the energy buzzing inside you? It’s like that.” 

 

“How can I help?” Nicole asked, not missing the way that Waverly flinched when she reached out to touch her arm gently. “Sorry.”

 

“No, don’t apologize. I just... I don’t want to hurt you too,” Waverly said softly. It occurred to Nicole that Waverly might not completely understand how everything played out with Wynonna earlier. 

 

“Wynonna’s okay, you know,” she said. “And we’re all working to figure out how to fix this. You’ll be back to normal before you know it.”

 

“Yeah, I know, but it doesn’t excuse the fact that I almost shot my own sister,” Waverly muttered. “The not-crazy one, anyways.”

 

“Hey...,” Nicole said softly, leaving her hand facing upwards on the table for Waverly to take in her own, which she reluctantly did. “That wasn’t you. No one here thinks that you would intentionally hurt Wynonna.” 

 

Waverly didn’t look convinced, but she also didn’t look as glum. 

 

“I’m still kind of new to all this stuff, but I’ve been reading your research a lot- it’s really good, by the way. You should write a book,” she continued. Waverly smiled a little at the compliment. “Anyways, remember August Hamilton? There were a lot of times during solving that case that it seemed hopeless, but you didn’t give up, because it was your sister’s life at stake. She’s going to do the same for you. And if all that isn’t enough, I’m not going to rest until you feel comfortable in your own skin again.”

 

“Thanks, Nicole,” Waverly said softly. 

 

They sat in silence for a couple minutes, until there was a knocking on the window. Nicole looked up and was slightly horrified to see Wynonna’s face behind the glass. She looked at Waverly, whose expression was, for a moment, just as horrified as her own, before her eyes started to turn black. 

 

“Waves...”

 

“Nicole, get out!” She wasn’t sure if the voice was in her head or coming from Wynonna, but before she could move, Waverly lunged over the table and had her elbow locked around Nicole’s throat. 

 

“Come on Wynonna, I’ll trade you. Your life, for hers.”  


	2. Chapter 2

Waverly was stronger than Nicole expected. 

 

There was a moment of shock where she didn’t know what to do. For five seconds, she completely panicked. She tried to draw a breath but the pressure on her throat prevented her from getting any air. She didn’t want to use violent methods towards Waverly, but Nicole knew how to get out of a stranglehold. Clutched at Waverly’s locked arm, feigning desperation (though it wasn’t all acting). She stepped back enough that her foot hooked around Waverly’s. Ducked her chin into the crook of Waverly’s elbow. She was then able to turn out, and trip Waverly with her foot. Finally, she drew a shaky breath.

 

“It doesn’t matter if you escape,” Waverly growled. “You’re weak. You care too much about Waverly to leave her in solitary confinement, and I’ll keep doing this until eventually, the heir will have no choice but to turn herself in.”

 

“I’m sorry to do this to you, babe,” she said, ignoring the demon’s words as she cuffed Waverly’s wrists behind her back. “I’m not sure if you’ll remember this but I’ll explain everything when you’re lucid again.”

 

Waverly said nothing, but her eyes were still black and staring at the window where Wynonna had been just a moment before. 

 

“I’ll see you in a bit.” 

 

Nicole left the cell, doing her best to put aside her concerns for Waverly. Once the door was securely shut behind her, she let out a sigh of relief that she made it out alive. 

 

“I’m such an idiot,” Wynonna said, covering her eyes with one hand. “I’m so sorry, Nicole. Are you okay?” 

 

“Yeah, I’m alright. Maybe I shouldn’t have gone in there in the first place,” Nicole said. Though she was a bit upset with Wynonna for being so careless, she knew better than to get angry with her over something that was clearly an accident. 

 

“At least she has you,” Wynonna said. “I get it if you don’t want to go in there again, but could you at least bring her some of her things from home? I don’t want her to feel like she’s a criminal.”

 

“That’s a really sweet idea,” Nicole agreed. “I’ll go pick up some stuff for her. Where are you guys at with problem solving?”

 

“Dolls thinks he can do an exorcism, but it’s risky,” Wynonna said. “There’s also the Stone Witch, but I doubt she’d help us after everything we’ve put her through.”

 

“Might be worth asking her to help,” Nicole said. “And if not, we can try it Dolls’ way.” 

 

“Okay, yeah,” Wynonna agreed. “Let’s go witch-hunting.”

 

\---

  
  


The car ride was silent and heavy. Wynonna barely said anything other than directions, but Nicole didn’t push her to talk. She was actually grateful for the silence, it allowed her to really process everything that had happened over the past few days. 

 

“Maybe it would be best if you stayed in the car,” Nicole suggested once they arrived at the salt flats. “If she sees it’s you that she’s helping, she might not want to help at all.”

 

“Whatever. Let me know if you need anything,” Wynonna said, kicking her feet up on the dash. Nicole did her best not to cringe. 

 

It was unsettling, finding a woman buried up to her neck in salt- her eyes hopeless and makeup smudged. If Nicole hadn’t known better, she would’ve thought she was dead. She grabbed a bottle of water from the car and unscrewed the cap, crouching down to offer it to the woman. The witch gave her a mistrusting look, but opened her mouth anyways. Nicole poured the water slowly into the woman’s mouth, just enough to get her to talk. 

 

“I need your help,” Nicole said. A mixed look of desperation and suspicion crossed the woman’s face. “And I’ll help you in return, starting by digging you out of here.”

 

“Please,” the witch croaked. “I’ll do anything.”

 

“I was hoping you might say that,” Nicole replied. “You see, my girlfriend was... possessed, we don’t know by what, but we need to get her back to normal.” 

 

“I can fix it,” the woman promised. 

 

“There’s one more detail that I forgot to mention,” Nicole pointed out. “You aren’t going to like it.”

 

“Beggars can’t be choosers,” the witch pointed out. Nicole wondered if that would still ring true.  

 

“My girlfriend is Waverly Earp.” 

 

There it was. The clenched jaw, the narrow eyes and the utter malevolence that got her buried in salt in the first place. 

 

“Listen, I don’t have time to risk you making this situation worse than it already is. If you could refer me to someone else who could help or even just tell me what to do-”

 

“I’ll do it. Just get me out of here.”


	3. Chapter 3

“What in the name of hell is that monstrosity doing back here?” Doc snarled when Wynonna and Nicole returned to the police station with Constance. 

 

“I thought you said they were okay with this idea,” Nicole whispered, but judging by the enraged look on Doc’s face and the disappointed look on Dolls’, it was safe to assume that Wynonna had gone ahead and made this decision without them.

 

“Yeah, I might’ve left out a couple details about Doc’s history with Constance... I’ll explain later,” Wynonna replied. “Waverly is  _ my  _ sister, and I’m going to decide how we help her.”

 

“Surely you must be out of your damn mind. How could you possibly think we could trust her? What about after, huh?” Doc persisted. “After she inevitably twists her deal somehow and leaves us in more shit than we started in, how will we deal with her?”

 

“I told her that as long as she fixes Waverly with no complications, she can go free, but if she tries anything, we’ll put her back in the salt,” Nicole explained, trying to be helpful, but all it did was further Doc’s rage. 

 

“Great, and then she can wreak havoc on the entire town,” Doc grumbled. “Are her powers even working?”

 

“No, not yet,” Constance said, her voice bold despite being up against so many people who clearly despised her. “In a day or two I’ll be back to normal, and so will your precious Waverly.”

 

“She’d better be, or so help me-”

 

“Enough,” Dolls said from where he was leaning against a table. “Nicole, since you got us into this, you’ll be in charge of dealing with her. “Until then, we’ve just got to wait.”

 

\---

 

It was late by the time Nicole returned to the police station- which seemed empty without the noise of the Black Badge Division bickering. Before she had joined, she had thought the abrasiveness of the group was annoying. Now that she was in, it was still annoying, perhaps even more so, especially when she wanted to solve a problem, like this one.  

 

“Waves, are you in there?” she asked, opening the sliding window on the heavy metal door. 

 

“Yeah, it’s me,” she said, looking up from where she was sitting on the floor, with her hands still cuffed. “Your cat’s name is Calamity Jane.”

 

Nicole smiled, and although everyone knew that, she figured a demon or revenant or whatever was inside of Waverly probably wouldn’t know, so she let herself in. She joined Waverly on the floor, sitting cross-legged in front of her.

 

“Maybe we should think of a code word,” Nicole suggested. 

 

“Good idea. How about  rinocerotis? It’s latin for unicorn, something only we’d know,” Waverly replied. 

 

“Wow, you came up with that alarmingly fast,” Nicole remarked. 

 

“Yeah, I thought of it earlier. There isn’t much to do down here,” Waverly said. Nicole’s heart sank a little, until she remembered why she came down in the first place. 

 

“I brought you some things, to make it feel less like jail,” Nicole said, unzipping the duffel bag she had brought with her. “There’s some books- I didn’t know which ones you had read or not, so I just picked the ones that seemed the most interesting. I also grabbed a blanket, a pillow, and some snacks.”

 

“That’s so thoughtful,” Waverly commented, smiling. “I can’t really read unless you uncuff me, though.”

 

Nicole hesitated. When she looked into Waverly’s eyes, she saw the beautiful hazel eyes that captivated her every time they looked at each other, rather than the black ones that definitely were  _ not  _ Waverly. But something still seemed off. 

 

“I really shouldn’t,” Nicole said, trying not to sound too skeptical.

 

“You’re scared of me,” Waverly replied sadly, looking down. 

 

“You tried to strangle me earlier,” Nicole reminded her. Judging by the horrified expression on Waverly’s face, Nicole figured that Waverly wasn’t aware of the things she did when she wasn’t lucid. “We have an idea on how to fix this, though. The Stone Witch said she’d help us.” 

 

Suddenly, Waverly’s body grew rigid, her eyes black again. Nicole’s heart leaped into her throat- if Waverly tried to hurt her, Nicole was completely defenseless. But instead of attacking, Waverly remained frozen. It looked like the blood was draining from her face, and Nicole could see a dark substance flowing through her veins, down to her fingertips, where it oozed out onto the floor. By the time the fluid had flushed out of her body, Waverly fell back onto the floor, passed out. 

 

“Waverly, can you hear me?” Nicole said softly, but got no response. Frantically, she checked Waverly’s pulse at her wrist, even though she knew that Waverly could come to and attack at any moment. But for now, she was just relieved that her girlfriend was still alive. She didn’t know how long Waverly would be out for, so she pulled the pillow and blanket out from the bag and tried to make Waverly as comfortable as possible. 

 

In the meantime, Nicole sat on the floor, leaned up against the wall, waiting for Waverly to wake up. She stared at the thick puddle of black liquid on the floor. It raised so many questions, and was intriguing. Doc had described a similar substance from where Waverly had nearly shot Wynonna at the edge of town. Nicole couldn’t help but wonder if it had something to do with Waverly being possessed. 

 

The longer she stared and the longer her questions went unanswered, the more curious she became. Eventually, she could hardly stand it, and crept closer just to look. Up close, the liquid was almost iridescent and smelled not too unpleasant. Nicole didn’t even notice her hand creeping towards it until it was too late. 

  
The goo was warm as it seeped into her skin.


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> a/n: wow, i'm overwhelmed by the number of comments regarding nicole touching the goo! lol! hopefully this chapter will help!

Nicole didn’t really feel that different.

 

She was still aware of herself, she was aware of what happened to Waverly, and what she had done. She couldn’t exactly  _ feel  _ whatever was possessing her, but there was definitely a presence inside her that made her feel like a puppet. 

 

“God, I feel stupid,” Nicole said, feeling more miserable than before. Between getting shot and having her girlfriend possessed, things just really weren’t going her way this week. “Waverly, I’d really appreciate it if you’d wake up soon.”

 

Waverly didn’t move, as Nicole expected. Since her girlfriend wasn’t possessed anymore, Nicole unlocked the cuffs, rubbing the tender skin where Waverly had resisted her restraints, and put them around her own wrists. At least she could have some common sense as long as Wynonna didn’t come into sight. 

 

Ugh. Great. Wynonna. 

 

Pulling out her cellphone was a struggle, but she made it work, and once she had it in her hands, it was much easier to use. 

 

‘Hey, long story but in the morning can u send Dolls to let wave out of confinement? Long story but I made a big mistake.’

 

Almost immediately after she sent the text, Wynonna was calling her. Nicole quickly ignored the call, unsure of what the sound of Wynonna’s voice would do to her. 

 

‘Waverly isn’t possessed anymore but I am. Don’t text back. Get Dolls to help me asap.’

 

She locked her phone but kept it in her hands to avoid having to get it in and out of her pocket again. Her ears rung from being in such silence. 

 

The reality of her situation was starting to sink in, and she was starting to doubt that Constance would even help. Luckily, she had been nothing but kind to that woman, so hopefully that would help, but it was still more likely that they’d get tricked by her. 

 

“Nicole...?” Waverly’s voice brought her back to the present. “What happened?”

 

“I’ve got good news and bad news, which do you want to hear first?” Nicole asked, rushing to Waverly's side and helping her up. “Actually, there’s a particular order it has to go in for it to make sense. Good news is, you’re not possessed anymore and should probably get the hell out of here because the bad news is, I’m possessed now.”

 

“Wow, that’s a lot to take in,” Waverly remarked. “You touched the goo too?”

 

“Yeah. Don’t judge me- I already feel completely stupid,” Nicole said. “It was like it was just... calling to me.” 

 

“I know, right?” Waverly replied, wrapping the blanket a little tighter around her shoulders. “I’m so relieved that it wasn’t just me. But God, why did it have to be you?!”

 

Nicole didn’t know what to say to that. She hugged her knees into her chest. 

 

“I have an idea,” Waverly said. Nicole looked up, feeling hopeful. This whole ordeal would be so much easier now that the brains of the Black Badge Division was back in action. “It might be kind of stupid, but it’s worth a shot.”

 

“What is it?” 

 

“True love’s kiss,” Waverly said, and even she couldn’t hold back a playful grin. Nicole rolled her eyes, but couldn’t help but smile as well. 

 

“Wow. I knew you were a dork, but this is something else,” Nicole replied, though she was already shuffling to sit closer to kiss Waverly, who was already leaning in. There wasn’t a doubt in either of their minds that they weren’t each other’s true love. 

 

It was their first uninterrupted kiss since before... well, in weeks. And though it was nice, and gave her butterflies in her tummy, Nicole knew it wasn’t going to work. After they broke apart, she tucked Waverly’s hair behind her ear. 

 

“Thanks for trying, but I think I’m still possessed,” Nicole concluded. 

 

“Well, I guess I’m not your true love then,” Waverly teased. “It was nice while it lasted though.”

 

“Please. We were only kind-of girlfriends,” Nicole replied in the same teasing tone, but it made Waverly blush with embarrassment anyways. 

 

“Hey! I already apologized for that, okay?” Waverly said. “And when we get you out of this mess, we’re going to go on a real date, I promise.” 

 

Nicole laughed, grateful that despite being in this mess, it would at least help that she had Waverly with her. If anyone could help her, it was Waverly.

 

“Here, you should take this,” Nicole said, giving Waverly the key to the handcuffs. “And you should probably go, just in case anything happens.”

 

“I don’t want to leave you here by yourself,” Waverly protested, looking incredibly hurt. “Can I at least stay until you fall asleep?” 

 

“Yeah, I guess,” Nicole replied, smiling a little. Waverly opened her arms and Nicole instantly leaned into them. “Hey Waverly?” 

 

“Hmm?”

 

“I love you too, by the way.”

 

“Oh my God. You heard that?” Waverly asked, horrified. 

 

“Yeah. That night was an emotional rollercoaster,” Nicole replied. “But hey, it got Wynonna to listen, so maybe it was necessary.” 

 

“I meant it too,” Waverly insisted, resting her chin on top of Nicole’s head. “I love you. And I’m going to get this thing out of you before you know it.”

 

“Thanks, Waves. If anyone can do it, it’s you.” 

 

\---

 

When Nicole woke up, Waverly was gone, but instead, Dolls was there, sitting one of the metal chairs at the table, watching her sleep. It was quite unsettling. His arms were crossed, and though it was impossible to get a read on any of his emotions, Nicole could tell that he was disappointed in her.

 

“How are you feeling?” he asked, though Nicole doubted he actually wanted to know about her feelings. 

 

“I’m fine, thanks,” she replied, sitting up and resisting the urge to stretch out her spine. “I’m assuming Wynonna already told you what happened.” 

 

“She did," Dolls said. There was a heavy moment of silence before he said, "so why did you touch it?"

 

“It called to me,” Nicole explained. “If you go to the original puddle you’d understand. Actually, don't. We don't need another person possessed, but I’m not a complete idiot here.”

 

“I wasn’t going to say it,” Dolls insisted. “Anyways. The Stone Witch is in my custody now since you obviously can’t leave this room, but her powers are slowly coming back and she says she’ll be able to help by this afternoon.” 

 

“That early?”

 

Dolls shrugged. Again, Nicole was starting to feel like asking Constance for help might've been a big mistake. 

 

“That’s weird... Last time I mentioned the Stone Witch, whatever was possessing Waverly left her body,” Nicole said. “I guess that’s a pretty good indication that it’ll work, right?” 

 

“Let’s hope. If it doesn’t work, and we dug her out for nothing, Doc will be pretty pissed,” Dolls said. “Though he’ll be pissed either way.”

 

\---

 

“I thought you said Waverly was the one who was possessed...?” Constance asked as she entered the cell with Dolls.

 

“She was, but whatever possessed her left her body to possess mine,” Nicole explained for the third time that day. “Can you help?”

 

The witch hesitated. Waverly joined the group, and her mere presence helped ebb away at Nicole’s nerves. 

 

“That wasn’t our deal,” Constance replied once she looked at Waverly. Nicole’s heart dropped. “I can still help, but at a higher price.”

 

“Why does it matter? It’s the same job, just a different person,” Dolls asked. “Enough stalling.”

 

“Waverly took away any chance I had at being reunited with my son. I don’t want to help her,” Constance explained. Nicole looked at Waverly, and saw her own fear reflected in Waverly’s eyes. “But, that being said, Officer Haught has been kinder to me than anyone has in months, and I don’t want to see her suffer. So, I’ll change the terms of our deal, if you won’t mind.”

 

“What do you want?” Dolls demanded. 

 

“Well first of all, I want my car back,” the witch said. Dolls rolled his eyes, and Nicole was glad that Doc wasn’t there to make a fuss about it. In fact, she would be more than happy to give Constance the car, so that Doc would no longer be such a hazard to pedestrians and other drivers on the road. 

 

“Done. Now will you help?” 

  
“One more thing,” Constance added. “I want Waverly to leave Purgatory.” 


	5. Chapter 5

_ “What?”  _

 

“Why would you ask her to do that?” Nicole demanded. 

 

“She stole my chances of ever being reunited with my son. Pardon my manners, but I’d hate for her to be happy while I’m stuck being miserable for the rest of eternity,” Constance explained matter-of-factly, her dark lips curled into a horrible smile. Nicole looked at Waverly, who looked pale as a sheet, and downright heartbroken. 

 

“I’ll do it,” Waverly said. “Just help Nicole, please.”

 

“No, I won’t let you,” Nicole protested. “I’ll leave as soon as you get this thing out of me, let her stay.”

 

“No- no one is leaving!” Dolls interjected. “Constance, we’ll give you the car, and we’ll give you your freedom. But if you won’t let them both stay, then we’re putting you back in the salt.”

 

Constance fell silent for a long time. It was then that Nicole noticed the enchanted barbed wire around Constance’s wrists still, and realized that maybe they weren’t so different at this moment. 

 

“Constance... The pain you’re feeling right now, it’s incredibly strong, isn’t it?” Nicole said softly. “I know what you’re going through. When I was nine, my older brother got into a car accident involving an impaired driver. And believe me, there is nothing I wouldn’t do to bring him back, even though I know it’s impossible... But that being said, I wouldn’t wish that kind of pain on  _ anyone,  _ not even my worst enemy. Would it really make  _ you _ feel better to forbid Waverly from seeing her loved ones ever again?”

 

Constance fell silent for a while, as did everyone else. It made Nicole feel a little embarrassed for making such a confession in public. 

 

“I’ll take your deal,” Constance said quietly to Dolls. “But I need to be alone with Nicole for this.”

 

“Fat chance,” Waverly snorted, crossing her arms. 

 

“If you still don’t trust me, just watch from the window,” Constance replied, rolling her eyes. “Oh, and I’ll need these wires taken off, please.”

 

Dolls unwrapped the wire, being careful not to break it in case they ever needed to contain her again. Constance rolled her wrists a couple times each way. 

 

“Alright, let’s get to work.”

 

Constance sat across from Nicole with her palms facing upwards on the table. She closed her eyes and muttered some words under her breath which Nicole didn’t understand. 

 

“I just wanted to say... Thanks, for agreeing to help us,” Nicole said softly when Constance paused with her mutterings. The witch opened her eyes and shot a look at Nicole.

 

“If this is going to work I’m going to need complete silence on your end unless I ask you to speak,” Constance insisted. 

 

“Okay, sorry,” Nicole replied. “Can you at least tell me what you’re doing so this isn’t so awkward?”

 

“Fine,” Constance relented. “Right now I’m putting a protective spell on myself so that I don’t get possessed after the spirit is expelled from you.”

 

Nicole nodded, and let Constance continue her work. 

 

“Pass me that book,” Constance said, without opening her eyes or specifying which book. Nicole leaned down and grabbed the book from the top of the bag she had brought the night before. “Not that one, the one under it.”

 

The book was a hardcover book about ancient civilizations, and for a moment, Nicole wondered if Constance needed to do some very last minute research or something. 

 

“We’re going to put the spirit in here once we extract it from your body,” Constance explained. “And then you can either destroy the book or keep it as a nice keepsake.”

 

She tore the first page out of the book and set it down in front of her. 

 

“Dolls, I know you’re listening so if you could bring me a pen, a candle and some matches, that would be very helpful!”

 

Moments later, Dolls returned with the requested items. 

 

“If you burn down the police station, you’re paying for it with all your new-found freedom,” Dolls warned.

 

“Honey, this ain’t my first rodeo,” she replied. Nicole couldn’t help but admire the woman’s tenacity. Despite everything that had happened to her, nothing seemed to get under her skin. 

 

Once Dolls left the room, Constance drew a picture of something that looked like a snake with teeth on the underside of it’s head, and no eyes. 

 

“This is the beast that is possessing you. His blood enchants those who draw near to it- and possesses them, using their eyes to search for his victims,” the witch explained. “Many decades ago, he was defeated in a legendary battle and laid dormant for years. Willa must’ve brought Peacemaker across the Ghost River County line, awakening him.”

 

“I’m going to recite an incantation to draw out the blood. You will act as if you’re possessed but since I’m not Wynonna, you aren’t a real threat. It’s likely that you won’t remember any of what happens while you’re possessed, so I’ll see you when you wake up,” Constance continued. “Sweet dreams, Nicole.”

 

\---

 

When Nicole woke up, she was no longer in the interrogation room, but rather her own bedroom. The first thing she noticed was the lack of handcuffs on her wrist- the exorcism must’ve worked. She looked around, and saw Waverly sitting beside her on the bed, reading. 

 

“Hey,” she said softly, and Waverly tossed the book aside without even saving her page. 

 

“You’re okay!” Waverly said, relieved. She bent down and pressed a series of kisses to Nicole’s forehead. 

 

“Of course I am,” Nicole said, sitting up a little. “Why wouldn’t I be?”

 

“I don’t know,” Waverly admitted, smiling sheepishly. “I guess I just expected, after everything we’d been through with Constance, that she’d try to do something to you. I guess she likes you though.”

 

“I’m pretty likeable,” Nicole agreed. “Did you guys destroy the book?”

 

“What book?”

 

“You know, the one that she put the spirit in. It was about ancient Egypt or something,” Nicole explained. Waverly’s expression hardened. 

  
“She didn’t give us a book.”


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> last chapter!!! thanks guys for reading this and keeping me motivated to keep writing ^_^

Finally, with the threat of killing Wynonna well out of the way, the Black Badge Division could meet in it’s entirety. They sat around a conference table, though Wynonna chose to sit directly on the table and Dolls stood at the head of the table. Nicole and Waverly sat together with Doc across from them. 

 

“Are you sure there was even a book to begin with? We didn’t see her walk out with anything,” Doc asked Nicole. 

 

“I know what I saw,” she insisted, frustrated that even here, there were more people doubting her. “She needed something to put the spirit in so that it wouldn’t possess anyone else. Didn’t you see it when you were watching?”

 

“Any idea where this witch is staying?” Doc interrupted, crossing his arms and leaning back in his chair. “Oh right, we don’t, because none of you had the foresight to predict that she would scam us.”

 

“Okay, we get it, you were right and we were wrong, how many times do we have to apologize until we can all just move on?” Wynonna replied. 

 

“Actually, I don’t think you guys were wrong, because Nicole and I aren’t possessed anymore, so... Maybe it was worth it,” Waverly interjected, and Nicole couldn’t help but agree. 

 

“Who knows what she’s going to do with that book,” Dolls pointed out. “When we find out, we’ll decide whether or not it was worth it. Nicole, she likes you the most, so you’ll be in charge of tracking her down, if you’re ready for it.”

 

“I wouldn’t be here if I wasn’t ready,” Nicole said confidently. “Did you give her the car?” 

 

_ “You gave her back the car?”  _

 

Nicole fell silent, as did everyone else. Doc had been irritated before but this was a whole new level of rage that no one was prepared to deal with. 

 

“We had to, it was the only way she’d help Nicole,” Waverly insisted. “But yeah, we gave it back to her after we dropped you off at your house.”

 

“Then we can track the plates. And we can check security and traffic cameras too- it’s pretty hard to miss a pink car.” 

 

\---

 

It quickly became too difficult to discuss anything with Doc’s attitude, so the team broke to work on their respective duties. Luckily, Nicole had been able to talk Dolls into letting her work with Waverly (which she later found out, wasn’t that much of a feat since Waverly did primarily research and not much else, much to her chagrin). The two of them sat at Nicole’s old desk, clicking through various cameras throughout Purgatory in search of Constance, and taking notes of where they saw the car. They also had a couple patrol officers keeping an eye out.

 

“So..., was that true, what you said about your brother the other day?” Waverly asked quietly. 

 

“Yeah,” Nicole said, clicking to the next camera. “But it was a long time ago. It hurt a lot at first, but now there are days when I don’t even think about it.”

 

Waverly didn’t say anything, so Nicole looked away for a moment to look at Waverly.

 

“Honestly, I’m okay,” she insisted. 

 

“I guess we have that in common then,” Waverly said. “As far as I’m concerned, Willa died that night when I was six.” 

 

“Well, I’m here whenever you want to talk about it,” Nicole replied, turning back to the screen, but then quickly turned her attention back to Waverly. “Sorry, that sounded really distant. I just think we should focus on work.”

 

“It’s okay, you’re right,” Waverly said, smiling a little. “Want to go for coffee later? I feel like I haven’t seen you in days.”

 

“Yeah, that would be nice,” Nicole agreed, grinning. Finally, she turned her full attention to the monitor and flicked through a couple more traffic feeds before finally catching a glimpse of the car, driving down the road to where Shorty’s was. “Come on, we can beat her to Shorty’s.”

 

\---

 

Sure enough, when they arrived at the bar, Constance was just walking out. 

 

“Wait in the car, okay? I’ll be back before you know it,” Nicole said, giving Waverly a quick kiss on the cheek before getting out to catch Constance before they lost her again. 

 

“Nicole!” Constance said, sounding genuinely surprised to see her. “I’ve got to say- you look much better than you did when your girlfriend was possessed. You must really love her.”

 

“I do,” Nicole agreed. “And I just wanted to start by thanking you for helping us both.”

 

“You’re welcome,” Constance replied, smiling. “Thank you for treating me with respect. It’s been years since anyone has.”

 

“No problem,” Nicole said, feeling almost sorry for this woman. “There was actually another reason why I came to see you.”

 

“You want the book, don’t you?” Constance assumed. Nicole nodded. “Sorry to have taken it. It’s just, when I realized that the serpent was active again, I was curious.”

 

“You didn’t touch the goo, did you?” Nicole asked, remembering where her own curiosity had landed her last time. 

 

“No- do you really think that I’m that stupid?” Constance retorted, and Nicole definitely noticed the insult. “I just wanted to research it. I didn’t get very far, and I doubt I will. You can have the book if you really want it.”

 

That gave Nicole an idea. 

 

“How would you like to join the Black Badge Division?” 

 

\---

 

“Hey guys, we got the book back!” Waverly announced as they entered the sanctioned headquarters for the Black Badge Division. She held it up in the air for everyone to see, earning an applause. “Constance said the best way to get rid of it is to burn it.” 

 

“Really? She was that helpful?” Doc asked suspiciously. 

 

“That leads me to our second surprise,” Nicole interjected.

 

“Please tell me it’s coffee and donuts,” Wynonna pleaded, but Nicole just acted like she didn’t hear her. She stepped aside for Constance to enter the room.

 

“She wants to join our team,” Nicole explained.

 

“You have  _ got  _ to be kidding me.” Not everyone seemed to think this was as good of an idea as Nicole did, least of all, Doc. 

 

“Haught, you do not have the authority to hire new recruits- we’re overstaffed as is,” Dolls scolded. “Although, she would be an invaluable asset.” 

 

“What if we just took her on as a consultant?” Waverly suggested.

 

“That would eliminate your job, baby girl,” Wynonna pointed out. 

 

“And then I could be promoted to an actual agent.”

 

Everyone fell silent, which was starting to become a habit these days.

 

“Come on guys! I can handle it!” she insisted. And while Nicole wanted to support her girlfriend, there was a huge part of her that just wanted to keep Waverly as sheltered as possible. 

 

“We’ll try it out,” Dolls relented. “Worst case scenario we’ll just get rid of Doc.”

 

“You wouldn’t last ten minutes without me.”

 

\---

 

Now that everything was finally wrapped up and they finally had a moment of down time, Nicole took Waverly out for coffee. 

 

“I’m really glad that you’re okay,” Nicole said, squeezing Waverly’s hands from across the table, her cappuccino long forgotten. “I don’t know what I would do without you.”

 

“I’m glad you’re okay too,” Waverly agreed. “Thanks for everything you did for me. It’s nice to feel like I’m actually important to someone.”

 

“What do you mean?”

 

“Well it’s just... When Willa came back, her relationship with Wynonna just fell into place and I felt like I was put on the back burner. And the Black Badge Division, even though I was doing like, all the work, on all the assignments, it just felt like I wasn’t really needed since I never got to help with the actual Revenant hunting. And don’t even get me started on Champ,” Waverly explained, remaining incredibly level headed as she went over everything that made her feel worthless. 

 

“You’re the most important thing to me,” Nicole insisted. “And now that Willa is gone for good, Wynonna is going to want to keep you that much closer. Sorry, that sounded really insensitive, but what I mean is, things are different now. You’ve been working so hard- people like Dolls don’t take that lightly. If he’s willing to take a chance on you being an agent, you deserve it, and you should be incredibly proud of that.”

 

“Thanks,” Waverly said, smiling a little. “You always know what to say.” 

 

Nicole leaned over the table and kissed Waverly quickly. 

 

“Now what are we going to do with all this free time?” Nicole asked. 

 

“Don’t jinx it,” Waverly muttered. “Honestly, right now I could really just go for an entire night of cuddling and napping. I don’t want to move until tomorrow. Maybe even longer.”

  
“God, I love you.”


End file.
